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Car immobiliser, Birmingham.

Your car already has an immobiliser, and it listens for the key. That is the problem: every common theft method in Birmingham right now works by imitating the key. LockCar CAN-IMMO adds a second check that never listens to the key at all. Fitted by appointment across Birmingham, from £199.

Reading time: 6 minUpdated: August 2026Written by the 5StarWin fitting team

Nobody breaks a window any more

The factory immobiliser in your car does one thing: it checks for a valid key signal before it lets the engine start. It does that well. The trouble is that every mainstream electronic theft method now in use is a way of producing a valid key signal without the key.

Relay attack

Two people, twenty seconds

One holds an amplifier near your front door, the other stands at the car. The key on your hall table answers as though the car were beside it. Nothing is forced and no alarm sounds.

How relay theft works →
CAN injection

In through the headlight

Wiring reachable from outside the body becomes a way onto the car's own network. A device the size of a phone tells the vehicle to unlock and allow a start.

CAN injection explained →
OBD key cloning

A new key at the kerb

With access to the diagnostic port a fresh working key is written into the car in minutes. The clone is, to the vehicle, indistinguishable from your original.

OBD theft explained →

All three fool the same check. None of them has an answer for a second check that never listens to the key's radio.

What CAN-IMMO adds to a Birmingham car

CAN-IMMO is a small module — 48 × 24 × 15 mm — that connects to your car's own data bus and blocks the engine from starting until it is satisfied that you are the one getting in. Authorisation comes from your paired phone over encrypted Bluetooth, or from a proximity TAG in your pocket, or from a backup sequence using buttons the car already has.

It replaces nothing. Your factory immobiliser carries on doing its job. A thief who defeats it with a relay box or a cloned key gets past the first check exactly as before, presses the start button, and stops dead at a second question they have no way of answering.

What it does not do

It does not stop the doors being opened, and it is not a tracker. It stops the car being driven away. That is one job, and it is the expensive one. If you also want live location or a 4G camera, that is a different LockCar configuration and we will say so rather than sell you the wrong thing.

No LEDs, no keypad, nothing to find

The module is concealed in a position chosen for your particular car. There is no flashing light on the dashboard and no box screwed under the steering column, so there is nothing that tells a thief the car is protected, and nothing obvious to reach for once they are inside it.

Trust Mode, for people who do not want to press anything

With Trust Mode on, the system disarms as you walk up with your phone or TAG and arms itself again once you have walked away. For most Birmingham owners the honest answer to "what changes about my day" is: nothing.

What a car immobiliser costs in Birmingham

Every quote we give is a fixed figure for your registration, not a range. Here is the shape of it.

What you are buyingIncludedPrice
LockCar CAN-IMMOModule, fitted and programmed to your car CAN / LIN / ADC module, vehicle-specific programming, Android and iPhone app, anti-hijack, valet mode, firmware updates over the air, 12 month warranty from £199
Proximity TAGOptional Hands-free authorisation without taking your phone out Ask
Shock sensor inputOptional Detects impact, tilting or unauthorised movement Ask
SubscriptionCore protection The app talks to the module locally over Bluetooth None
The recurring cost worth asking every installer about

Anything with 4G tracking or a live camera needs a data plan to keep working. CAN-IMMO does not, because it is an immobiliser rather than a monitoring service. If a quote you are comparing is quiet about monthly costs, ask directly. Our full UK price guide covers every category.

Booking and fitting

  1. Tell us what you drive

    Make, model and year, or just the registration. We confirm compatibility and give you a final price with no obligation.

  2. We book you in

    Fitting needs soldering and knowledge of your car's specific wiring, so it is done properly by appointment rather than rushed on a kerbside.

  3. Fitted and programmed

    The module is concealed in a position chosen for your car and programmed to the vehicle in the same appointment.

  4. Your phone, your TAG, your backup code

    We pair the app, pair the TAG if you have chosen one, and agree your backup access sequence together.

  5. Tested with you before you drive away

    Blocking, disarming on approach, valet mode and the backup sequence, all demonstrated so you have used them yourself.

Where we cover

Birmingham and the surrounding West Midlands. If you are just outside this list, ask — it is usually still fine.

  • Birmingham City Centre
  • Sutton Coldfield
  • Solihull
  • Erdington
  • Edgbaston
  • Moseley
  • Harborne
  • Kings Heath
  • Selly Oak
  • Handsworth
  • Aston
  • Bournville
  • Northfield
  • Yardley
  • Sheldon
  • Great Barr
  • Jewellery Quarter
  • Acocks Green
  • Hall Green
  • Shirley
  • West Bromwich
  • Walsall
  • Wolverhampton
  • Dudley
  • Halesowen
  • Stourbridge
  • Coventry
  • Tamworth

Five questions worth asking any Birmingham installer

  • Where does the module go? A good installer will not tell you over the phone, and will not put it in the first place a thief looks.
  • Is there a monthly fee? Ask before you compare prices, not after.
  • What is the backup if my phone dies? There should be a clear answer that does not involve calling anybody.
  • Who do I ring in a year? If the fitting is subcontracted, the person answering the phone may never have seen your car.
  • What happens when I change car? Get the reprogramming and refitting cost in writing now, not in three years.

Questions we get asked

How much does a car immobiliser cost in Birmingham?

LockCar CAN-IMMO starts from £199. The final figure depends on your vehicle, on whether you add a proximity TAG or a shock sensor, and on the fitting itself. We confirm one fixed price for your registration before you book.

How long does the fitting take?

Allow most of a working session. The module has to be concealed in a position chosen for your car, soldered into the wiring and programmed to the vehicle, then tested with you. It is not a ten minute job and you should be suspicious of anyone who says it is.

Will it stop relay theft?

A relay attack copies the radio signal from your key, so it can still open the doors. CAN-IMMO never listens to the key radio at all, so a relay has nothing to work with. The car will not start without your phone or TAG.

Do I need a subscription?

No. Core protection works with no monthly fee, because the app talks to the module locally over Bluetooth rather than through a server.

What happens if my phone battery dies?

At fitting we set up a backup access sequence using buttons that already exist in your car. It works independently of your phone and the app.

Can more than one person drive the car?

Yes. Additional phones or TAGs can be paired. Tell us how many drivers there are when you book and we will set them all up on the day.

Will it invalidate my warranty?

A correctly fitted immobiliser should not invalidate a manufacturer's warranty. If your vehicle is on a strict lease agreement, check the terms and tell us before you book.

Can I move it to my next car?

Yes. The module is reprogrammable, so when you change vehicle it can be reprogrammed and refitted rather than replaced.

Tell us what you drive

Send your registration and we will confirm compatibility, the right configuration and a fixed price for fitting in Birmingham.

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